Who is the Texans top player?

I’ve compiled a list of the top 40 Houston Texans based on the current roster, but I need to spell out how I decided to rank the players. My rankings aren’t based on overall value to the team or the ratings would start with “1. Matt Schaub, 2. Andre Johnson.”

Instead, I decided to try and rank the Texans as “football players.” I’m trying to decide how good a football player each player is relative to each other and how I come to my conclusions is certainly bound to be different than how you come to your conclusions. What you did in the past just factors in slightly as I’m looking to stack players based on where I think they are right now as players.

Keep in mind that some of my rankings will have players who have “never done anything” ahead of players who have experience under their belt. Oh well. In some cases I’m obviously projecting based on how I think they would play if given the opportunity that others have had. Here is my final list of the Texans Top 40. When you compare this list to what the list might have looked like in 2008, you’ll see just how much better the talent is within the top 15 players.

1. Arian Foster, RB – With Tate on the roster, the Texans could survive without Foster but there is no doubt that Foster is a special back in this system and beyond. For those who think Foster is a creation of the zone scheme, I say watch the games closer. Foster has a unique ability to make men miss despite being a bigger back and his vision is elite amongst runners in the league. Do you need tough yards on 3rd and short? Foster is your guy. Do you need someone who can close the deal in the redzone? Foster is your guy. Do you need a player who excels against the best competition out there? Foster is your guy. Foster is a different breed of cat as a person, but that isn’t a bad thing in my opinion. I think Foster has found himself as a person and enjoys being the best at his craft which is why I don’t see him becoming complacent now that he’s been paid.

2. Johnathan Joseph, CB – When we talk about the best cornerback in the pro football, it is common to default to Darrelle Revis from the Jets. Before last season, the default was a choice between Revis and Nnamdi Asomugha. If Johnathan Joseph isn’t added to that list of cornerbacks, then something is wrong. Joseph outplayed Asomugha last season and provided the “lockdown corner” that allowed Wade Phillips to utilize his safeties all over the field without concern for helping Joseph over the top. Joseph proved to be an excellent tackler and his highly competitive nature helped to set the tone for a defense that complately remade itself last year.

3. Duane Brown, LT – I’m sure that where be plenty of people who argue this selection and I will admit that a case can be made for Andre Johnson, J.J. Watt and even Brian Cushing here. Duane Brown can shut down bull rushers, speed rushers and dominate in the zone scheme,which is why he is one of the top three tackles in all of football and deserves to be listed within the top three here. Brown has matured a great deal off the field and his professional attitude is one of the reasons that he’s been able to reach his potential in both the running game and with pass protection. Very few tackles have the athleticism to get out on the perimeter and make blocks on cornerbacks on bubble screens while still being able to play with a certain degree of power. The Texans made some tough roster moves this offseason in an attempt to get their cap situation where they needed to in order to be prepared to make Brown one of the highest paid tackles in the league in 2013.

4. Andre Johnson, WR – Initially I had Andre Johnson behind J.J. Watt, but in the end I had to give the nod to Dre thanks to his consistency of production. If he remains healthy (which is getting to be a bigger “if”), there is no doubt that Johnson will produce at a high level. In anyone’s list of who the Texans can least afford to lose, Andre Johnson will end up in the top three if not the top two. Johnson’s work ethic and talent have always been off the charts and he doesn’t carry himself with the diva-like attitude we see from so many wide receivers. I would be lying, however, if I told you I wasn’t concerned by the fact that Dre missed nine games with injuries that didn’t involve any contact last year. At the age of 31, Dre’s health is going to be something to keep a very close eye on.

5. JJ Watt, DE – I recognize that Watt could easily be in the top two of this list, but I just want to see him do it a little longer. Watt started off like most rookies and then looked like one of the best interior defensive linemen in football by the end of the year and I think it is very likely that he is that type of player. Watt’s strength at the point of attack is obvious, but what sets him apart is his ability to explode off the snap and destroy the plans of the offensive lineman in front of him. If he plays up to his potential, he will challenge Arian Foster and Johnathan Joseph for best Houston Texan.

6. Brian Cushing, LB – Cushing’s bounce-back 2011 was very important to not only the Texans success, but also for Cushing’s reputation. Cushing was an animal in 2009 and then morphed into a normal human in 2010. Who here amongst you believed that Cushing was going to show back up in perfect form in 2011? I wasn’t so sure about that my damn self, but I was ecstatic to see it. What really makes Cushing fly off the field at you is his ability to diagnose quickly and then make decisions with outstanding football instinct. His ability to get around blocks while guessing the right path to the ball is what made helped to vault him back up near the top of the inside linebacker rankings.

7. Antonio Smith, DE – The most underrated Houston Texan is the darling of coaches and people like Greg Cosell from NFL Films who watch coaches tape for a living. Smith still does some stupid things on the field when he loses his composure, but there is no denying his toughness and nasty demeanor. Smith was critical in setting up the outside linebackers on his side up for success with the “T/E” stunts that he was the catalyst for. In that stunt, Smith shoots up the field between the guard and tackle in an attempt to occupy both players which allows the OLB to loop underneath to the vacated area and with a clear shot to the quarterback. Smith is much stronger at the point of attack than most players his size and his relentless pass rushing from the interior helped to make quarterbacks uncomfortable throughout the season.

8. Matt Schaub, QB – If this list were called “Who can the Texans least afford to lose?” then Matt Schaub would be No.1. Schaub’s importance to this team was never more evident than at the end of last season and during the playoffs when the Texans offense played so inconsistently thanks to a lack of consistent passing attack. Unfortunately for Schaub, this list is about who the top football players on the team and there are some good ones ahead of him. Schaub understands the offense and will always be able to post some fairly impressive numbers in it, but when it comes to making big plays at big times and carrying the team when called on to do so, he has come up short.

9. Connor Barwin, OLB – Barwin showed up and showed out in a big way last year and as opposed to Brooks Reed who combined motor with opportunity, I think many of Barwin’s sacks and pressures were the result of outstanding one on one skills. Barwin’s “stab move” is a very underrated pass rush move that was able to create balance issues for tackles and open up inside pass rushing lanes. Barwin has ridiculous athleticism which should allow Wade Phillips to run a few more games with him this year in the second year of running this defense.

10. Danieal Manning, S – I ran this list by a few football people and their opinion of where Manning should be on the list varied greatly. There is school of thought that Manning is a decent player who benefited from an outstanding pass rush. There is another school of thought (and I attend this university) that says that Manning is one of, if not THE, best tackling safety in all of football who also has the ability to cover WRs out of the slot and return kicks. The biggest concern with Manning is that he will take some chances and let guys get behind him and that will be something that teams test this year.

11. Owen Daniels, TE – Tough to slot OD because everyone judges him based on his 2007 and 2008 seasons when he racked up 133 catches, 1630 yards, but even then he had just 5 TDs. When you isolated on Daniels, it was obvious that he was still able to get open and make plays, its just that he isn’t targeted as much as he was earlier in his career. Daniels is still a solid blocker in the run game and should be a much bigger factor in the passing game if Schaub stays healthy.

12. Chris Myers, C – Myers has gone from being a scapegoat to being a key off-season re-signing by the Texans in just four short years. Make no mistake, I understand that Myers has much more value in the zone scheme than he might have in a man-blocking attack, but the loss of Myers would have hurt much more than the loss of Mike Brisiel.

13. Ben Tate, RB – I like Ben Tate, but I don’t love him as a football player. Tate has speed and proved that he could step in and post good numbers in this offense when Foster went out, but he also left yards on the field. Tate’s vision is very, very average and he still needs to learn to be more of a complete runner, but the potential is definitely there for him to be a solid starting RB.

14. Brooks Reed, OLB – Brooks has a terrific first step and plays with a motor that is as good as any player on the team which is one of the reasons that he was more impressive than most of us expected from a rookie thrust into a starting position. Reed has a variety of pass rush moves which certainly adds to his “football player” status and will likely be handling the stating snaps this year. The Texans drafted Whitney Mercilus and were targeting Bruce Irvin according to some very reliable sources so I have to wonder if the Texans believe in Reed’s ability to be a full-time starter.

15. Wade Smith, LG – Is Wade Smith a product of the system? He might be. Smith was “just a guy” before he got to the Texans, but within the Texans scheme, Smith has been a key component in the success of the running game. Smith is an intelligent player who has adapted well to the scheme and has been good at getting to the second level and making his blocks.

16. Glover Quin, S – Quin struggled in preseason with his tackling as he struggled with new angles moving from cornerback to safety, but Quin really elevated his play during the season. Quin’s ability to support the run and cover wide receivers and tight ends helps to make the Texans safety duo one of the most versatile duos in the league.

17. Rashad Butler, RT – Butler could easily be rated in the top 12 by the end of the year if he wins the right tackle job and handles himself well in that position. Butler’s pass protection ability could be an upgrade from Eric Winston’s but the real question to me is how he handles himself in the running game which is very important for this offense’s success.

18. Shaun Cody, DT/NT – While Mitchell has the greater upside, Cody showed that he could handle the position better than most of us expected heading into 2011. Cody isn’t built for handling double teams all game long, but he did a good job of getting the job done last year. It will be interesting to see if Cody can play up to 2011 or if he loses some reps to Mitchell this year.

19. Earl Mitchell, DT/NT – Mitchell may be higher on the list than you expected him to be, but he can play – just ask Wade Phillips. Unfortunately for Mitchell, he might not be best suited in a 3-4, but his ability to rush the passer and disrupt from the NT position makes Mitchell a very valuable member of the Texans. If I were a 4-3 team looking for a 3-technique who can get up the field, I would be calling the Texans looking to trade for Mitchell.

20. Kevin Walter, WR – Walter is known as a great run-blocking WR and he has earned that distinction over the years. The problem for the Texans is that Walter’s reception numbers has gone down in each of the last four years and he isn’t getting any younger. With younger wideouts behind him, Walter could lose some snaps this season.

21. Whitney Mercilus, OLB – Mercilus has all the potential in the world but is still very raw right now. Mercilus played with his hand in the ground and standing up at Illinois so the Texans know how he rushes from both stances, but he’ll likely be a rotational pass rusher to start off the season.

22. Brice McCain, CB – There weren’t many players who looked worse than Brice McCain in 2010 and yet McCain would have easily won the “Most Improved Texan” award last season. McCain has good speed and quickness and showed a good deal of “stickiness” when matched up with WRs in the slot. I was also very pleased with what I saw from McCain in terms of his tackling in 2011. McCain’s play could end up keeping 2nd round pick Brandon Harris on the bench for awhile.

23. Kareem Jackson, CB – Despite being the city’s”whipping boy” for football, Jackson did improve in 2012. While Jackson played better, the Texans also realize that his game speed and closing speed isn’t what they had hoped it would be when he was drafted. Jackson’s upside will never be equal to where he was drafted, but he does have a chance to be “solid.”

24. Tim Jamison, DE – Jamison came out of nowhere last year and made just about everyone a believer. You could see his motor ran hot last year in camp and it ended up carrying over into games where he worked his way in as a rotational DE. Jamison doesn’t have the typical measurements of a 3-4 DE, but he does have the tenacity that defensive line coach Bill Kollar covets.

25. James Casey, FB/TE – Casey’s biggest problem is that he’s caught in-between positions. He’s not a true fullback and he’s not an every down tight end. What he is, however, is a football player. Casey will produce at a high level on special teams, but he also has some of the best hands on the team. If his blocking improves in year two as a fullback, Casey could become a huge weapon for Coach Kubiak as he gives the Texans unbelievable versatility with their formations that creates matchup havoc.

26. Keshawn Martin, WR – Surprised? This might surprise you right now, but you’ll get it once we get halfway through the season. Martin is tailor-made for the slot in Gary Kubiak’s offense. With an ability to shake defenders off the line of scrimmage, Martin figures to be a tougher matchup for nickel cornerbacks than Jacoby Jones was and he has great special teams value as a returner.

27. Bradie James, ILB – The old dog still has plenty of tricks and I’m sure that Wade Phillips has no problem with plugging James into the starting lineup once camp begins. James is at the stage of his career where he has no upside left, but he is a very capable starter in this defense.

28. Derek Newton, OT – Newton has size, a strong base and athleticism. The fact that Newton has almost no NFL experience might make this ranking a surprise to some, but I was actually dying to put him higher. Newton is a very real contender for the starting spot on the right side this year (although he is an underdog to Rashad Butler) and has starter’s potential.

29. Antoine Caldwell, RG – Caldwell isn’t as bad as he looked last season. In fact, Caldwell tried to tough it out with two high ankle sprains which hampered his performance and caused Caldwell to get “very down on himself” according to sources with the team. Caldwell should win the battle at right guard against rookie Brandon Brooks and from there we will finally see what type of game a healthy Caldwell has. This is probably a make or break year (camp?) for him.

30. Lestar Jean, WR – Jean is the “cause célèbre” of Texans fans on message boards, at water coolers and on sport talk radio. And you know what? I’m buying into the hype. When I watch Jean, I see a WR with not only tremendous hands, but an ability to operate vertically as well. Most importantly, Jean has a great demeanor on the field and exudes confidence when you watch him work. While Kevin Walter may be the starter this year, I expect Jean to be the first man off the bench if Walter or Andre Johnson get hurt or need a rest.

31. Justin Forsett, RB – Forsett might be the Texans 3rd string RB, but he can play the game. Forsett saw his opportunities go way down last year with Marshawn Lynch’s emergence, but he fits in the zone scheme, he’s a solid pass catcher out of the backfield and he can return punts and kicks. Forsett will be an upgrade at the Texans RB3 spot this year.

32. Darryl Sharpton, ILB – Sharpton is aggressive and started to show signs of improvement last year until an injury sidelined him. With DeMeco Ryans gone, the thought was that Sharpton would get his chance, but with the signing of Bradie James and with Sharpton slow to recover from his quad injury, Sharpton’s playing time may be more limited to special teams if he can’t beat out James in camp.

33. DeVier Posey, WR – Posey missed most of last season and is playing a position that can be tricky for rookies to pick up. I wouldn’t expect much from Posey this year and I think he’ll find himself behind Lestar Jean in terms of pecking order at the outside WR position. Despite his size and speed, Posey just isn’t ready to make a dent in 2012.

34. Bryan Braman, OLB – Braman has the type of athleticism that could vault him into the top 25 by the time the season is over, but I still need to see more before I bump him that high this quickly. When I watch Braman on kick coverage, I see a future special teams Pro Bowler. Braman runs in the 4.5 range and that is obvious as he blazes down the field. Despite having greater athletic ability as a pass rusher than Brooks Reed, he still lacks the skill level necessary to be a consistent pass rusher. He is still young and learning, however.

35. Jared Crick, DE – Although smaller than JJ Watt, Crick has the type of game motor that Watt had coming out, but he doesn’t have Watt’s talent. In Wade Phillips’ defense, Crick has a chance to be a solid rotational player who is allowed to cut it loose up the field when called on. Crick will fight for snaps this year.

36. Brandon Brooks, RG – Brooks has never done it, but there is a good chance he will do it… but probably not this year. Brooks has outstanding power and better-than-expected lateral movement for a man his size. Right now, the game will be too fast for Brooks, but that doesn’t diminish his talent and potential as a player.

37. Tim Dobbins, ILB – Dobbins is somewhat limited at the LB position, but he can thump and was used at times around the goal line. Dobbins has always been a strong player on special teams since he came into the league and that value as a “teams” player along with his aggressive demeanor gets him slotted inside my top 40.

38. T.J. Yates, QB – Yates wouldn’t be a guy that anyone around the league would covet as a starter, but he did show some flashes this year and I know that Gary Kubiak is very high on his potential. If the Texans had to go to him for an entire season, they probably wouldn’t be a playoff team, but he has some potential to build on a second year player.

39. Troy Nolan, S – It was tough deciding what to do with Nolan. Initially, I had him out of the top 40 and he could wind up outside of this list by the time camp starts. Nolan helps on special teams and had to step in and start last year when Danieal Manning went down, but he will have competition in camp to hang onto his job this season.

40. Garrett Graham, TE – Graham has had very little action on the field so far and when I’ve watched him in camp and in the preseason, he hasn’t really flashed. In this offense, he has a chance to really make a name for himself, but right now he doesn’t stand out as a playmaker or blocker at the tight end position.